Baltimore & Towson Lawyer Discusses Same-Sex Marriage and Divorce
A Report From Your Maryland Family Law Attorney
A recent Baltimore Sun article details the love story of a Towson couple who has become one of the first same-sex couples to legally wed in the state of Maryland. The couple has been together for 17 years, underwent a symbolic marriage ceremony in 2006 and is raising a two-year-old daughter. They married at their home just after the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, among family and friends.
Prior to their ability to legally wed, the couple spent thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees to have legal documents prepared that would provide them with some of the benefits that an opposite-sex married couple would receive through a simple marriage certificate. After one of the women gave birth to their daughter, they spent additional fees to prepare legal documents allowing her partner to legally adopt the child, steps that would be unnecessary for a married heterosexual couple.
After the Maryland General Assembly approved legislation allowing same-sex marriage in 2012, opponents of the measure petitioned to have the issue placed on the November ballot. Nonetheless, 52% of Maryland voters approved the legalization of same-sex marriage, a law that went into effect on January 1, 2013.
Along with the happiness that this legislation brings to same-sex couples, however, is the new realm of divorce law that has opened for such couples. As your Maryland family law attorney well knows, even the happiest of marital unions can end up in divorce court, a proposition that can become even more complex where same-sex couples are involved. The legalization of same-sex marriages in Maryland and several other states in recent years has spurred rapid changes in family law to accommodate the unique challenges that same-sex unions bring.
Whether a marriage involves a heterosexual or gay married couple, your Maryland family law attorney predicts that family law will continue to develop in this area, particularly when legally married same-sex couples start to seek divorce and other forms of relief from the family court, including orders regarding child custody, visitation, child support and property division.
Call (410) 321-4994 For a Free Consultation
Call The Law Offices of Amar S. Weisman at (410) 321-4994 to schedule a Free Consultation. The Purpose of the consultation is to determine whether you want to retain this law firm as your Baltimore County & Harford County Family Lawyer. If you do wish to proceed, then you must pay a retainer. See Our Policy on Fees and Costs. The family firm is located next to The Circuit Court for Baltimore County, at 1018 Dulaney Valley Road, Towson, MD 21204.
